Founded on 15th April 1923; revitalised under the leadership of the then Secretary General Com EX Jospeh in 1957, faced innumberable onslaughts by the bureaucracy of Indian Audit & Accounts Department under CAG of India; fought disruptions patronised by CAG many a time; champions the cause of audit and accounts employees, the Central Government employees and workers and toiling masses.

After a sustained struggle, in 2003, the audit and accounts employees under the banner of JAC of Audit & Accounts Employees Organisations could achieve parity in pay with Assistants in Central Secretariat maintaining vertical relativity. The parity was granted notionally with effect from 1.1.1996 and actually from 19.2.2003.

Few members of All India Railway Accounts Staff Association (AIRASA) in Trivandrum (Shri Jose Sebastian and 4 others) challenged the decision of the Railway Board (ie Govt) to grant the higher pay scale from 19.2.12003 and demanded that higher pay (and subsequent arrears of pay) be paid from 1.1.1996, in the CAT, Ernakulam.

CAT, Ernakulam, on 30.6.2006, quashed the order of Railway Board granting notional fixation from 1.1.1996 to 18.2.2003 and directed that the higher pay scale be paid in real terms with effect from 1.1.1996. The Railway board moved HC of Kerala against this directive of the CAT, Ernakulam. Finding no merit in the writ petition moved by the Railway Board, the HC of Kerala rejected the appeal (27.3.2012).

Railway Board planned to move the SC. The petitioners (only three are still in service, other two have since retired), ie AIRASA filed caveat in the SC so that the SLP by the Railway Board is not admitted without hearing the original petitioners.

The case finally came up for admission on 25th February 2013 and the SC rejected the SLP, rather the SLP moved by the Railway Board was not admitted – ie the CAT directive to pay arrears of pay from 1.1.1996 is upheld.

There are two more cases filed by the AIRASA members – one at Patna, Bihar and Guwahati, Assam – which are to yet to be disposed of.

The case has come to finality. It is to be seen how the government would implement the directive of the court.